Lacunae In Policy Blamed For Rampant Mining Of Rare Minerals

DGFT also cites dual control system for gaps in monitoring mechanism

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Private beach sand mineral (BSM) operators indulged in rampant illegal mining and export of minerals since 1998 by taking advantage of the gaps in monitoring mechanism due to lacunae in various policies and overlapping/dual control system by the Union Ministry of Mines and the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD), the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has told the Madras High Court.

In a counter affidavit filed before Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee, who were seized of a batch of cases related to the issue, the DGFT said BSM comprised a suite of seven minerals — limonite, rutile, leucoxene (titanium being mineral), zircon (zirconium being mineral), garnet, sillimanite and monazite (a proscribed substance under the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 since it covers uranium and thorium).